Hot on the heels of a backlash against Diablo 4 portal reskins that cost the same as Palworld comes a new microtransaction horror: a horse bundle that costs more than Diablo 4 itself.
This week, Blizzard released the new Vitreous Scourge mount, which can only be bought as part of a $64.99 bundle that throws in 7,000 Platinum. For context, Diablo 4 itself currently costs $41.99, and there is no way to buy the Vitreous Scourge mount outside this bundle.
Here’s what you get from the Vitreous Scourge pack, per Blizzard:
Charge in atop crystal and bone
Manifest crystalline might and traverse Sanctuary with the Vitreous Scourge. The Vitreous Scourge pack includes Crystal and Bone bundle containing the Crystal-clad mount, Crystal and Bone Cage mount armor, two mount trophies, and 7,000 Platinum.
Crystal and Bone: A great many maladies plague the unfortunate inhabitants of Sanctuary. One is a spreading corruption that crystalizes both flesh and bone.
7,000 Platinum can be exchanged to customize your in-game experience with purchasable cosmetic items from the Shop, used to unlock access to the premium Battle Pass, and Battle Pass Tier Skips.
Diablo 4 players are debating the rights and wrongs of this bundle, working out its value given it includes 7,000 Platinum (7,200 Platinum costs $64.97 when bought on its own via the denominations Blizzard provides). If you’re going to buy $65-worth of Platinum anyway, some argue, then the Vitreous Scourge mount is a free add-on. Or, considered another way, the $65 bundle offers $83 of value, if we consider previous Diablo 4 mounts have cost up to $18 each. But the point remains: it is impossible to buy the mount directly, which means this bundle is yet another example of the video game industry, and Blizzard, price anchoring its microtransactions.
It’s worth noting Diablo 4 is a full-price action role-playing game and not free-to-play, and while this horse is purely cosmetic and does not affect gameplay, it joins a long list of controversial microtransactions that have hit the game since its record-breaking launch in June.
Of course, Diablo 4 developer Blizzard is now owned by Microsoft following the company’s $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard last year. It was a move that some had thought would usher in a new era for Blizzard, but it got off to a troubling start after Microsoft announced nearly 2,000 staff would be let go from its gaming division, a devastating round of layoffs that have hit Blizzard hard.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.